OPERATION DEVICE
An operation device includes an operating portion to receive a push-in operation, a lessening member to lessen tilt movement of the operating portion associated with the push-in operation, a supporting portion to support the lessening member, a base portion on which the supporting portion is provided, and at least one placement portion that is provided on the base portion, includes a placing surface to place an end portion of the lessening member, and holds the lessening member on the base portion by the placing surface and the supporting portion in a preparation stage for assembling the operating portion to the base portion.
The present patent application claims the priority of Japanese patent application No. 2022/040799 filed on Mar. 15, 2022, and the entire contents of Japanese patent application No. 2022/040799 are hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to an operation device.
BACKGROUND ARTA push button switch is known which includes a push button, an escutcheon with a hole to insert the push button, a substrate attached to the back side of the escutcheon and having upper and lower elastic-force applying portions to elastically press the push button from the back surface side toward the front surface side and an electrical switch unit, and a stabilizer attached in a swingable manner between the push button and the escutcheon (see, e.g., Patent Literature 1).
The stabilizer is configured such that a linear locking portion and two arm portions bent 90 degrees from both ends of the locking portion form a squared U-shape and two engagement portions are also provided so as to be bent 90 degrees respectively from ends of these arm portions and extend in directions parallel to the locking portion as well as away from each other. The stabilizer suppresses tilt movement of the push button since it supports the push button from its left and right while keeping its posture so that the two engagement portions are always aligned in a straight line.
CITATION LIST Patent Literature
- Patent Literature 1: JP 2005/11746 A
Since the stabilizer suppresses, e.g., movement of the push button in a tilted state by an elastic force, there is a problem that a jig to hold the stabilizer against this elastic force is required when attaching the stabilizer and it thus takes time and effort.
It is an object of the invention to provide an operation device that is easy to assemble.
An aspect of the invention provides an operation device, comprising:
-
- an operating portion to receive a push-in operation;
- a lessening member to lessen tilt movement of the operating portion associated with the push-in operation;
- a supporting portion to support the lessening member;
- a base portion on which the supporting portion is provided; and
- at least one placement portion that is provided on the base portion, comprises a placing surface to place an end portion of the lessening member, and holds the lessening member on the base portion by the placing surface and the supporting portion in a preparation stage for assembling the operating portion to the base portion.
According to the invention, an operation device can be provided that is easy to assemble.
An operation device in the embodiment generally includes an operating portion to receive a push-in operation, a lessening member to lessen tilt movement of the operating portion associated with the push-in operation, a supporting portion to support the lessening member, a base portion on which the supporting portion is provided, and at least one placement portion that is provided on the base portion, comprises a placing surface to place an end portion of the lessening member, and holds the lessening member on the base portion by the placing surface and the supporting portion in a preparation stage for assembling the operating portion to the base portion.
Since the lessening member can be held on the base portion by means of the placing surface of the at least one placement portion and the supporting portion without having to hold the lessening member by a jig prior to assembly, this operation device is easier to assemble than when using a jig.
Embodiment General Configuration of an Operation Device 1In each drawing of the embodiment described below, a scale ratio or shape may be different from an actual ratio or shape. In addition, in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The touch sensor 22 detects an operating position of the detection target using a capacitive sensing method, generates detection information S1, and outputs it to the control unit 14. This detection information S1 includes information of coordinates of the position on the operating surface 20 at which the detection target has been detected, as an example. The detection target is an operating finger of a user, as an example.
The push switch 23 detects a push-in operation on the operating portion 2, i.e., a push operation performed on the operating surface 20, generates a switch signal S2, and outputs it to the control unit 14. The push switch 23 is a microswitch, as an example. The push switch 23 is provided, e.g., on the base portion 12 below at least one of the guide portions 6, and is configured to turn on with movement of said guide portion 6 caused by a push operation.
The control unit 14 is, e.g., a microcomputer composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) performing calculation and processing, etc., of the acquired data according to a stored program, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) as semiconductor memories, etc.
The control unit 1 can, e.g., move the cursor displayed on the display screen of the in-vehicle device 83 or change setting values, based on a touch operation or tracing operation performed on the operating surface 20. The control unit 1 can also control the in-vehicle devices 83 to execute a selected function, e.g., upon a push operation performed on the operating surface 20.
In other words, the operation device 1 in the present embodiment is configured to detect touch operations, etc. performed on the operating surface 20 by the touch sensor 22 and also detect push operations performed on the operating surface 20.
As a modification, the operation device 1 may be configured as, e.g., a switch that receives only push operations, such as a switch 81 or a start switch 82 shown in
As shown in
The longitudinal direction is a left-right direction on the paper of
The operating portion 2 has the touch sensor 22 at the top. The front surface of the operating portion 2 is the operating surface 20 of the touch sensor 22.
The operating portion 2 is attached to a housing 10. As shown in
As an example, two supporting portions 4 and two placement portions 5 are provided on an installation surface 120 of the base portion 12. In this regard, it may be configured to include only one of the placement portions 5. The upper housing 11 is attached to the base portion 12 by screws, etc. The upper housing 11 and the base portion 12 are formed using, e.g., a resin material.
Configuration of the Stabilizer 3As shown in
As shown in
The first bent portion 31 is located on the left side on the paper of
The second bent portion 32 is located on the right side on the paper of
The first end portion 33 is located on the left side on the paper of
The second end portion 34 is located on the right side of the paper of
As shown in
In particular, when the placement portion 5 is arranged on the first end portion 33 side of the stabilizer 3 and is viewed from the supported portion 30 side, the first end portion 33 in a state of being placed on the placing surface 52 in the preparation stage is supported in a preparation position 72 rotated in the second direction 36 from a reference line 71 indicating the 12 o'clock position, as shown in
When the placement portion 5 is arranged on the second end portion 34 side of the stabilizer 3 and is viewed from the supported portion 30 side, the second end portion 34 in a state of being placed on the placing surface 52 in the preparation stage is supported in the preparation position 72 rotated in the second direction 36 from the reference line 71 indicating the 12 o'clock position. Furthermore, when the placement portions 5 are arranged on the first end portion 33 side and the second end portion 34 side of the stabilizer 3, the first end portion 33 and the second end portion 34 are supported in the preparation position 72 rotated in the second direction 36 in the same manner.
When setting the operating portion 2 on the base portion 12, the stabilizer 3 rotates in the first direction 35 to an assembled position 73 at which the first and second end portions 33, 34 and the supported portion 30 are substantially in a horizontal plane, as shown in
As shown in
The support base 40 is formed using, e.g., a resin material and has a plate shape. The protruding portion 41 protrudes from a side surface 400 of the support base 40 and suppresses upward movement of the supported portion 30. The stabilizer 3 rotates in the first and second directions 35 and 36 while keeping contact with the side surface 400 and the lower surface 42. As a modification, the lower surface 42 of the protruding portion 41 may be a recessed surface corresponding to the shape of the supported portion 30.
As shown in
As a modification, a recessed portion to rotatably fit the stabilizer 3 may be provided on the lower surface 42 of the supporting portion 4. In addition, it may be configured to include one supporting portion 4 to support the center of the supported portion 30, instead of having plural supporting portions 4.
As another modification, the supporting portion 4 may further include a projecting portion 43 projecting from the side surface 400 below the protruding portion 41, and a recessed portion 44 provided between the protruding portion 41 and the projecting portion 43, as shown in
As yet another modification, the supporting portion 4 may be configured to have a first supporting portion 4a and a second supporting portion 4b, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
A distance H1 from a highest point 301 of the supported portion 30 to the lowest point 332 of the first end portion 33 of the stabilizer 3 is not less than a distance H3 from the lower surface 42 of the protruding portion 41 in contact with the stabilizer 3 to the placing surface 52. Likewise, a distance H2 from the highest point 301 of the supported portion 30 to a lowest point 341 of the second end portion 34 of the stabilizer 3 is not less than the distance H3 from the lower surface 42 of the protruding portion 41 in contact with the stabilizer 3 to the placing surface 52. The distance H1 is equal to the distance H2.
In the present embodiment, the distance H1 from the highest point 301 of the supported portion 30 to the lowest point 332 of the end portion is equal to the distance H3. That is, the stabilizer 3 when placed on the placing surface 52 is not elastically deformed with no change in a distance L between the center 300 of the supported portion 30 and a center 331 of the first end portion 33, and thus easily rotates in the first and second directions 35 and 36.
As a modification, the placing surface 52 may have a recessed shape corresponding to the shape of the stabilizer 3, as shown in
As yet another modification, the placement portion 5 does not need to have a curved surface at the corner 54 as long as the end portion does not come into contact with the corner 54.
As shown in
As shown in
The guide portions 6 may be formed integrally with the operating portion 2 or may be attached to the operating portion 2 by screws, etc. Since the left and right guide portions 6 have the same configuration, the guide portion 6 to which the first end portion 33 of the stabilizer 3 is attached will be described.
As shown in
The insertion groove 60 is a linear groove which is provided in the up-down direction on the paper of
The inclined groove 61 is inclined with respect to an assembly direction A on the paper of
The intersecting groove 62 is a groove that extends in the left-right direction on the paper of
The operating surface 20 of the operation device 1 has a rectangular shape in which a length in the left-right direction is larger than a length in the up-down direction on the paper of
However, when, as an example, a push operation is performed on a left end portion of the operating surface 20 on the paper of
When a push operation is performed on said end portion, an upper surface 620 of the intersecting groove 62 of the guide portion 6 presses the first end portion 33 due to a load F1 generated by a push operation of an operating finger 9 as shown in
In the preparation stage, as shown in
Next, to assemble the operating portion 2 to the base portion 12, the first end portion 33 is aligned with the insertion groove 60 of the left guide portion 6 and the second end portion 34 with the insertion groove 60 of the right guide portion 6, and the operating portion 2 is then moved in the assembly direction A. In the following description, the movement of the endmost portion 330 of the first end portion 33 will be mainly described.
As shown in
Then, when the operating portion 2 is further moved in the assembly direction A, the endmost portion 330 is pressed by the inclined surface 610 as shown in
Then, when the operating portion 2 is further moved in the assembly direction A, the endmost portion 330 is pressed by the inclined surface 610 and moves to a position where the endmost portion 330 is in contact with the inclined surface 610 as well as the upper surface 620 of the intersecting groove 62, as shown in
Then, when the operating portion 2 is further moved in the assembly direction A, the endmost portion 330 is pressed by the upper surface 620 and moves in the intersecting groove 62 toward the right, i.e., in the intersecting direction B, as shown in
Then, when the operating portion 2 is further moved in the assembly direction A, the endmost portion 330 is further pressed by the upper surface 620 and moves in the intersecting groove 62 in the intersecting direction B, as shown in
Then, when the operating portion 2 is further moved in the assembly direction A, the endmost portion 330 is further pressed by the upper surface 620, moves in the intersecting groove 62 in the intersecting direction B, and reaches the assembled position 73 as shown in
The operation device 1 in the present embodiment is easy to assemble. In particular, since the stabilizer 3 can be set on the base portion 12 by means of the placing surfaces 52 of the placement portions 5 and the supporting portions 4 without having to hold the stabilizer 3 by a jig prior to assembly, the operation device 1 is easier to assemble than when using a jig.
By rotating the stabilizer 3 in the second direction 36 while keeping contact between the stabilizer 3 with the lower surfaces 42 and the side surfaces 400 of the supporting portions 4 and thereby placing the first end portion 33 and the second end portion 34 on the placing surfaces 52, the stabilizer 3 can be set on the supporting portions 4. Therefore, the operation device 1 does not require a process using a jig and the manufacturing cost can thus be reduced. In addition, since the stabilizer 3 can be easily set on the base portion 12, the operation device 1 can be easily assembled by hand.
By moving the operating portion 2 in the assembly direction A relative to the base portion 12 after setting the stabilizer 3 on the base portion 12, the stabilizer 3 is guided by the guide portions 6 and set in the assembled position 73. Therefore, the operation device 1 can be assembled easily as compared to when such a configuration is not adopted.
When assembling the operation device 1, the stabilizer 3 can be easily set on the base portion 12 and the operating portion 2 can also be easily assembled to the base portion 12. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the use of tools, such as jig, or machine, and thereby suppress the manufacturing cost. In addition, since the stabilizer 3 can be easily set on the base portion 12 and the operating portion 2 can also be easily assembled to the base portion 12, automated machine assembly of the operation device 1 without using jigs is facilitated.
In the operation device 1, the preparation position 72 of the first end portion 33 of the stabilizer 3 is a position rotated in the second direction 36 from the reference line 71. Therefore, as compared to when such a configuration is not adopted, it is possible to make it difficult for the stabilizer 3 to come off from the base portion 12 without applying an elastic force for holding the stabilizer 3, and it is also easy to rotate the stabilizer 3, facilitating assembly.
In the operation device 1, the distance H1 from the highest point 301 of the supported portion 30 to the lowest point 332 of the first end portion 33 of the stabilizer 3 is not less than the distance H3 from the lower surface 42 of the protruding portion 41 to the placing surface 52. Therefore, it is easier to set the stabilizer 3 as compared to when such a configuration is not adopted.
Since the operation device 1 does not require a jig to support the stabilizer 3 from below, the base portion 12 does not need to have an opening for the jig, which improves the degree of freedom in design.
Although some embodiment and modifications of the invention have been described, these embodiment and modifications are merely examples and the invention according to claims is not to be limited thereto. These new embodiment and modifications may be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions and changes, etc., can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, not all combinations of the features described in these embodiment and modifications are necessary to solve the problem of the invention. Further, these embodiment and modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention and also within the invention described in the claims and the range of equivalency.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
- 1 OPERATION DEVICE
- 2 OPERATING PORTION
- 3 STABILIZER
- 4 SUPPORTING PORTION
- 5 PLACEMENT PORTION
- 6 GUIDE PORTION
- 12 BASE PORTION
- 30 SUPPORTED PORTION
- 31 FIRST BENT PORTION
- 32 SECOND BENT PORTION
- 33 FIRST END PORTION
- 34 SECOND END PORTION
- 35 FIRST DIRECTION
- 36 SECOND DIRECTION
- 40 SUPPORT BASE
- 41 PROTRUDING PORTION
- 42 LOWER SURFACE
- 52 PLACING SURFACE
- 53 RAISED PORTION
- 54 CORNER
- 60 INSERTION GROOVE
- 61 INCLINED GROOVE
- 62 INTERSECTING GROOVE
- 610 INCLINED SURFACE
Claims
1. An operation device, comprising:
- an operating portion to receive a push-in operation;
- a lessening member to lessen tilt movement of the operating portion associated with the push-in operation;
- a supporting portion to support the lessening member;
- a base portion on which the supporting portion is provided; and
- at least one placement portion that is provided on the base portion, comprises a placing surface to place an end portion of the lessening member, and holds the lessening member on the base portion by the placing surface and the supporting portion in a preparation stage for assembling the operating portion to the base portion.
2. The operation device according to claim 1, comprising:
- guide portions that are provided on the operating portion so as to respectively correspond to the left and right end portions of the lessening member, guide the inserted end portions of the lessening member from an assembly direction to a direction intersecting the assembly direction to cause rotation of the lessening member in the intersecting direction at the time of assembling the operating portion to the base portion, and, together with the supporting portion, hold the lessening member after the operating portion is assembled to the base portion.
3. The operation device according to claim 2, wherein the guide portions each comprises an insertion groove to insert the end portion of the lessening member at the time of assembling the operating portion to the base portion, an inclined groove comprising an inclined surface inclined from the insertion groove, and an intersecting groove that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion groove and is connected to the inclined groove.
4. The operation device according to claim 1, wherein the lessening member has a long bar shape, and comprises a supported portion supported by the supporting portion, first and second bent portions formed by bending from both ends of the supported portion in an opposite direction, and first and second end portions as the end portions bent from ends of the first and second bent portions in directions away from each other.
5. The operation device according to claim 4, wherein where the lessening member rotates in a first direction about a center of a lateral cross section of the supported portion serving as a center of rotation, the end portion of the lessening member, which is placed on the placing surface in the preparation stage, is supported at a position shifted in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, from a 12 o'clock position with respect to the center of rotation.
6. The operation device according to claim 5, wherein the placement portion comprises a raised portion at an end of the placing surface to inhibit the lessening member placed on the placing surface from rotating in the second direction.
7. The operation device according to claim 6, wherein the supporting portion comprises a support base rising from the base portion, and a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction opposite to the intersecting direction in which the lessening member rotates at the time of assembling the operating portion to the base portion, and wherein a distance from a highest point of the supported portion to a lowest point of the end portion of the lessening member is not less than a distance from a lower surface of the protruding portion in contact with the lessening member to the placing surface.
8. The operation device according to claim 4, wherein the first and second bent portions of the lessening member are each disposed between the supporting portion and the placement portion in a longitudinal direction of the lessening member.
9. The operation device according to claim 4, wherein the supporting portion, the placement portion and each of the guide portions are disposed in the order of the supporting portion, the placement portion and each of the guide portions in a direction from a center of the lessening member in a longitudinal direction thereof toward the first or second end portion.
10. The operation device according to claim 1, wherein the placement portion comprises a curved surface so as not to inhibit a rotation of the lessening member, where the lessening member rotates about a center of a lateral cross section of the supported portion serving as a center of rotation.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 7, 2023
Publication Date: Sep 21, 2023
Patent Grant number: 11966248
Inventors: Akito ISHIHARA (Aichi), Yuki SAKAI (Aichi), Yosuke NAITO (Aichi), Renya WATANABE (Aichi), Yutaka OKUDA (Aichi)
Application Number: 18/179,888